Camping, Storms and Stomach cramps!
By jennybianca
@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
October 5, 2011 10:36pm CST
Some of you know that I went camping last long weekend with my 18 year old daughter.
It met with mixed success. We arrived late on the friday, and there was a raging gale blowing. Our site was right on the foreshore, a beautiful view, but hardly the best idea for putting up tents. The couple next to us had three small kids/toddler/baby and couldn't get the fly cover over. My daughter and I spent 30 minutes helping them, then started on ours. For a while we struggled and got part of the tent up until it came to securing the fly cover. The wind was so powerful that is was ripping the rather weak pegs out of the ground. Then one of the poles broke. I looked at this, and thought that we would probably have to drive all the way back to adelaide, as one couldn't buy replacement poles in that location, nor was there any spare accommodation. Then an older couple offered help. He had spare pegs, very strong ones and industrial tape.
We had to cook our tea inside the cramped tent, which is not a safe procedure, but it was far too rainy and windy to be cooking outside.
I had to walk for more than 50 metres to get to the toilet in the middle of the night, more than once, which I hated.
The follwing day was okay weather, and sunday was beautiful weather, good enough to walk on the beach, looking at rock pools and wading in the shallows.
That night I weas awake half the night with stomach cramps. I guessed it was either eating too much curry,or food poisonong from something I ate at he local markets, or even a virus. This went on for 2 to 3 days.
I haven't said in so many words to my daughter, but I am not going camping again.
3 people like this
8 responses
@GardenGerty (157665)
• United States
6 Oct 11
I would probably go someplace where I can rent a cabin.It is coming on to fall here. We will be spending one night this weekend in our van, we have a mattress and either will be at a campground or we will be at a service area where a bathroom is close.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
6 Oct 11
Renting a cabin is a great idea. In the past four years or so, we rented cabins in caravan parks, and they had ensuite. I don't mind if a cabin has a toilet right next door, but I am very put off by the idea of walking any distance at night.
Where are you going this weekend?
@GardenGerty (157665)
• United States
6 Oct 11
We are headed back to our home, but going a longer way, so that we can go to an agricultural event. I live in Kansas, we are in Minnesota right now, but will be going to Missouri for an overnight Friday night. Total round trip of 1400 miles. My daughter and son in law and grand daughters live in Minnesota.
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
6 Oct 11
1400 miles is a very long drive. good that you can take your lap top with you and keep in touch.
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
7 Oct 11
Our next holiday is in december, just before christmas. We are staying at a hotel. I can't wiat, as I wont even have to bring bedding.
1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
18 Oct 11
Sorry to hear that your camping trip was a disaster. 
The weather turned sour just before heading off on mine the other week too. The rain started on the Thursday that we were leaving and it poured heavily as I was stuck in Brisbane peak hour traffic trying to get there. I thought about turning around while this was happening as it was getting dark and the thought of putting up a large tent in the rain and dark was not very appealing.
I decided to keep going and try for a cabin or motel for the night if it was to bad and luckily I did as it cleared (both the rain and traffic) once I got through Brisbane. The sky actually got lighter at around 5pm and although it was dark by the time I got to the caravan park, there was no rain and my site was under a street light so I had no trouble getting the tent up. It did rain a little over the weekend, but by the time I was at the music festival each day, it was fine and sunny. The only really heavy rain was on the Saturday morning when we were confined to the tent for a few hours. Our tent is huge so we had enough room for our friends kids to come in too and everyone played board games and listened to music. The tent leaked a bit but nothing too bad. Everything was dry the next morning when we packed up which was great! 
The weather turned sour just before heading off on mine the other week too. The rain started on the Thursday that we were leaving and it poured heavily as I was stuck in Brisbane peak hour traffic trying to get there. I thought about turning around while this was happening as it was getting dark and the thought of putting up a large tent in the rain and dark was not very appealing.
I decided to keep going and try for a cabin or motel for the night if it was to bad and luckily I did as it cleared (both the rain and traffic) once I got through Brisbane. The sky actually got lighter at around 5pm and although it was dark by the time I got to the caravan park, there was no rain and my site was under a street light so I had no trouble getting the tent up. It did rain a little over the weekend, but by the time I was at the music festival each day, it was fine and sunny. The only really heavy rain was on the Saturday morning when we were confined to the tent for a few hours. Our tent is huge so we had enough room for our friends kids to come in too and everyone played board games and listened to music. The tent leaked a bit but nothing too bad. Everything was dry the next morning when we packed up which was great! @jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
18 Oct 11
Weren't you going camping the same weekend as me? If I recall, the front bringing all that bad weather was australia wide. Kids dont seem to mind being inside a tent when it rains,as they find it exciting, up to a point. Big tents definitely have their advantages, they are just harder to put up!!
Our problem was mainly the very strong wind, rather than rain. And I hated going to the toilet at night as it was freezing.
Physically, I don't think I am up to camping again. If someone else put up the tent, and had all the cooking gear in an accessible position (without crawling and bending a lot), I would still quite enjoy camping.
Have I asked you how old are your children?
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
19 Oct 11
I went camping the weekend of the 7th -9th. The wind was horrific last year for the festival, but there was very little this year fortunately. Strong winds in a tent is horrible. You feel like they are going to collapse on you when they start getting all sideways and out of shape. 
My tent is rather large (12 man I think) with 3 rooms and you can comfortably stand upright through most of it. This helps to make camping more enjoyable. Being cramped is not fun. It does take more time to set up and take down, but my kids were really good at helping me and I have done it so many times over the years that it is easy now. My kids are 10 and 12. Well my son turned 10 yesterday and my daughter turns 12 in a bit over 2 weeks time. 
My tent is rather large (12 man I think) with 3 rooms and you can comfortably stand upright through most of it. This helps to make camping more enjoyable. Being cramped is not fun. It does take more time to set up and take down, but my kids were really good at helping me and I have done it so many times over the years that it is easy now. My kids are 10 and 12. Well my son turned 10 yesterday and my daughter turns 12 in a bit over 2 weeks time. 1 person likes this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
6 Oct 11
It sounds like you had a horrible trip! The weather not co-operating is bad enough, but to be sick on top of it is horrible. You probably would have felt a little better in your own bed.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
6 Oct 11
I was so relieved getting home to my own bed, I absolutely crashed.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130092)
• India
6 Oct 11
The weather being so erratic, so unpredictable that anything outdoors needs to be shelved until mother natures behaves herself!
This is a global phenomena and it has upset not just holidays but everything that requires long spells of sunshine!
This is a global phenomena and it has upset not just holidays but everything that requires long spells of sunshine!2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
6 Oct 11
It was unusual, as the october long weekend usually has very good weather. so, as you say, it is all changing and we cant predict it.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
7 Oct 11
We used to camp with the kids. Most of the time it was wonderful. But our night in the Olympic Rain Forest was not. It was a small no-fee camping ground and it rained the entire time. Cooking, as you say, was no fun in the rain. We had a tarp like thing between our tents to cook under, but it was still wet. When it rains at night, there's not much to do. I don't remember how far the rest room was there, or if we even had anything but a portable. I don't know how I would have handled being sick on top of that. You have my sympathy.
Now we do not camp. Hubby has to use a breathing machine at night for his sleep apnea, and it needs a plug. After his hip replacements, getting on and off the ground doens't work. I still have my original parts, but it's pretty hard for me to get up off the ground now, too. We finally get to stay in a motel. Last time we took a vacation we rented a cabin. That's really what I prefer, since there is a kitchen and you have a home base and can save on food.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
10 Oct 11
I use the cpap machine too, as I have sleep apnea. That is why I took a camp site that had a power connection & I bought lots of extension cords.
I dont have your husbands medical conditions, but I still find it difficult to be constantly getting up from ground level, especially when crawling around looking for food and utensils.
Other poeple mentioned the idea of a tarp, but I had no idea if there would be places for me attach a tarp, and as it turned out, would have been impossible to put up in the strong wind.
Kids love camping, so you have done your fair share, and like me, not repeating the experience.
1 person likes this
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Oct 11
Wow! Sounds like one trip you wanna forget Jenny. Trust me when I say I know how you must have felt. If I ever go camping again it will be in huge motor home. Like the ones the NASCAR guys use with bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms. Makes you appreciate home, I guess. 
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Oct 11
I wish I could aford one of thoese motoe homes with a toilet qand bathroom. Even some fancy caravans are made now with the above facilities.
I'm a bit beyond all the work of tenting and walking to toilets outside in the freezing cold.
